When Scott Benson and Mark Briol joined forces in 1998, they dreamed of creating a boutique trial firm that would attract the best and brightest attorneys to provide the highest level of service to clients who were facing major financial litigation. But these two lawyers could not have been more different.
Benson grew up on a farm in west central Minnesota, raising chickens and performing at the local community theater. Briol grew up in the city and trained to become a professional boxer. As is so often the case with winning teams, there was great strength to be found by combining the talents of these two expert lawyers from such opposite backgrounds. Together, Briol and Benson formed a powerhouse firm that provides unparalleled representation to its clients.
From a young age, Benson had a passion for the stage. In high school and college, Benson appeared in numerous productions, eventually graduating from St. Olaf College with a degree in speech and political science. Even in law school, he performed with the Georgetown Gilbert and Sullivan Society—the only Gilbert and Sullivan company with its own law school.
This background proved invaluable to Benson’s work as a trial attorney. “My speech degree taught me rigorous thinking and how to persuade. My theater experience taught me how to make it authentic and interesting for the judge and the jury.”
Even today, Minneapolis theatergoers might catch Benson performing with Minnesota’s Gilbert and Sullivan Very Light Opera Company. “Gilbert was a lawyer and wrote many lyrics that tickle a lawyer’s unique sensibilities. Who but a lawyer could write: ‘The law is the true embodiment of everything that’s excellent. It has no kind of fault or flaw, and I my lords embody the law.’”
Benson also brings with him a commitment to public service and a dedication to provide exemplary service to his clients. Elected to the Minneapolis City Council in 2001, Benson served his 11th Ward constituents with distinction for eight years. In the courtroom, Benson fights for his clients with fierce determination. He works with clients in a broad range of matters, including securities fraud litigation and arbitration, bet-the-company litigation, high-asset marital dissolutions, and minority shareholder disputes.
The idea born in 1998 to bring disparate skills together to produce unparalleled results for clients persists today at Briol & Benson. “Mark and I have been careful to hand-pick attorneys who share our passion to deliver high-quality legal services and who complement our strengths with their own varied talents.”
